Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

S. B. STOVER. MAIL BAG GA-TCHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SETH B. STOVER, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG NOR OF ONE-HALF TOALBERT W.

MCPHERSON, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH B. STOVER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improved Mail-Bag Catcher andDeliverer, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to mail-bag catchers and deliverers to be used totake mail from a moving train, in which there is a means for holding thebag and a trap for catching the same; both operating automatically anddepending one upon the other, the objects being to provide, first a suremethod of operation. Second a good and substantial mechanism. Third toprovide a method that will not be rough on the mail bag. I attain theseobjects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich;

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the catcher and a back elevation of thedeliverer with mail bag attached and the same fastened to a car door.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the catcher and deliverer ready for operation.Fig. 3 a side elevation of the catcher only.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The circular plate 1 attached to the annular casting 2, which casting isset in annular grooved casting 3, which is attached to the foundation,as below described, together constitute the frame work of the catcher.

Directly over and running parallel with sills 6 are sills 5 and boltedto sills 6 with bolts 8, said sills 5 having grooves on the inner sideto admit the tongues of sliding sills 4. Between the sliding sills 4 arethree cross pieces 9 10 and 11 respectively, which are set into sills 4.On the top of sills4 and cross pieces 9 10 and 11 is centrally boltedcasting 3 which has an annular opening in its center to admit annularcasting 2 and adapted to hold casting 2 down onto beams 4, 9, 10 and 11.Onto beams 5 at each end are fitted cross beams 7 and bolted with bolts8. Inside of beams 7 and attached thereto are six springs, three at eachend, said springs are adapted to fasten to beams 7 and beams 4, 9 and 11and act in both tension and compression thereby relieving the catcher ofthe full force of the blow of the mail bag. On the top of casting 2 is alug adapted to the plate 1 and riveted thereto.

To each edge of plate 1 are riveted lugs 12,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 9, 1907.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Serial No. 387,874.

two on each side adapted to receive the shafts 13 having arm 13. Thearms being provided with rods 14 pivoted at one end to arms 13, theother end being set against an abutment 15 when the catcher is ready foroperation. On the lower portion of shafts 13 and between lugs 12 aretorsional springs fastened at one end to lugs 12 and at the other end toshafts 13, said spring adapted to throw arms 13 inward when released bythe thrusts of the mail bag against rod 14 throwing the end of rod 14off of the abut ment 15, the rod 14 passing through plate 1 through anopening provided therefor, as shown by dotted linesin Fig. 2. At theextreme lower end of shafts 13 are levers 26 for turning the shafts 13and arms 13 outward thereby releasing the mail bag and setting thecatcher for the next mail bag.

On each edge of plate 1 is pivoted a lever 16, the two uniting at theopposite ends and forming a' U, which is placed over a lug 18 and a pin17 inserted. By removing the pin 17 and raising the U end of the leverthe catcher can be reversed and faced in the opposite direction, thenlever 16 is placed over lug 19 and the pin 17 inserted.

The catcher is made with only one arm where there is a double trackrailway.

In the rear frame of the car door opening are two bolts 20, close to thetop and bottom of the opening. They extend forward and have collars asheads adapted to fit shaft 21 and with slots in the front side adaptedto receive lug 22 in shaft 21 when the arms 23 are pulled forward readyto attach the bag as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The arms 23 arefastened to shaft 21 by means of set screws 24. On the lower end ofshaft 21 is torsion spring 25 sufficiently strong to hold the arms withthe bag against the wind and allow the arms to pass the catcher afterbeing relieved of the bag.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a mailbag catcher and deliverer for cars the combination with aframe provided with an inner sliding frame adapted to move forward andbackward, of an annular shaped frame adapted to rotate in said slidingframe, of a vertical plate mounted on said annular shaped frame adaptedto hold a spring shaft and arms, means for attaching said shaft to saidplate and means carried by the train for with an inner sliding frameadapted thereto, springs connectlng said frame, an annular shaped frameadapted to rotate in said sliding frame, a vertical plate mounted onsaid annular shaped frame, means for bracing said plate, means forrotating said plate, spring shaft arms connected to said plate, springmeans for causing said arms to close inward, when released, said arms tobe set in the path of the mail bag, close to the railway track, meansfor releasing said mail bag, and means carried by the train forreleasing said spring arms, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of acatcher with a vertical shaft, adjacent to back of car door opening,means for fastening to said car, arms mounted on said shaft at rightangles to said shaft, said arms adjustable along said shaft, a torsionalspring mounted on said shaft tending to actuate said arm forward, meansfor locking said arms forward, and bends in said arms at their outerends, substantially as set forth.

4. In a mailbag catcher and deliverer for cars, the combination with aframe, provided with an inner sliding frame adapted thereto, springsconnecting said frames, an annular shaped frame adapted to rotate insaid sliding frame, a vertical plate mounted on said annular shapedframe, me ans for bracing said plate, means for rotating said plate,spring shaft and arms connected to said plate, means for causing saidarms to close inward, means for holding said arms outward ready for themailbag, a vertical shaft adjacent to back of car door opening, meansfor fastening said shaft to car, arms mounted on said shaft at rightangles to said shaft, said arms adjustable along said shaft, said armsadapted to hold a mailbag in position to connect with a trip on saidcatcher arm, means for releasing said catcher arms, and means on thecatcher for releasing mailbag, all substantially as set forth. I

Signed at San Diego, in the county of San Diego, and State ofCalifornia.

SETH B. STOVER.

l/Vitnesses:

J. W. MAGILL, EDMUND JoYoE.

